


We'll Take The Highway to Heaven

by ijustwantahugfromleetaeyong



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Basically Taeyong and Jaehyun skipping church to make out and be gay, Bottom Lee Taeyong, Christianity, Churches & Cathedrals, Father Son Hatred, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I mean no offence towards any religion, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jaehyun's dad is homophobic, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun is Whipped, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun-centric, Lee Taeyong is Whipped, M/M, Mark is Jaehyun's little brother, Rebel Jaehyun, Rebel Taeyong, Shy Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Skater Kid Taeyong, Summer Romance, Sweet Mark Lee (NCT), Teenage Rebellion, This is purely for entertainment purposes only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27051862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijustwantahugfromleetaeyong/pseuds/ijustwantahugfromleetaeyong
Summary: The one place Jaehyun doesn't want to be stuck this summer is the sickening town of Sweetwater with his father and that great big church looming over him. However, when he bumps into the local rebel Lee Taeyong, a boy who seems destined to NOT fit in, he finds that his summer gets just a little more interesting..
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 34
Kudos: 123





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Jaehyun gets trapped in the last place he wanted to be this summer.

Jaehyun didn’t want to be here.

He didn’t want to be standing gawking at the vast bay windows and balconies of his father’s home in Sweetwater. He didn’t want to be shivering in the shadow of the Church, towering adjacent to the building as it’s spire reached up into the sky, likely paying Heaven a visit. 

He most definitely didn’t want to be watching the silhouette of his father appear behind the screen door, striding out onto the porch in all his God-given glory, while Jaehyun stood weak and feeble in the driveway, willing himself to move.

His mom gave his hand a squeeze, urging Jaehyun not to let on how much he didn’t want to be here, and Jaehyun realises with a crushing feeling that there is nothing he can do.

He can’t run back and jump in the car, willing for it to take him back to Chicago.

His father peered at him from behind a pair of rimless spectacles, and Jaehyun felt his hair stand on end, trying not to swallow too thickly out of intimidation.

He never understood how his mom had fallen in love with him. In her youth, and even now, she had been a wild child with a passion for painting, and he was the cynical man strictly bound by the word of Christ. It was an unlikely pairing. Jaehyun’s mother claims that, when they were highschool sweethearts, his father was also a scoundrel.

Jaehyun can’t see it, as much as he tries. His father has too many frown lines, and too little love and compassion. He thinks that’s an oxymoron in itself. 

The divorce was three years ago now, and Jaehyun was still reserved in his feelings for his father. He hated everything Jaehyun ever did. His passion for writing, his music taste, his friends and his nose piercing were all looked down on. Jaehyun always knew he wasn’t the picture perfect son his dad wanted, and when he came out as bisexual the tension skyrocketed.

They couldn’t spend an hour under the same roof without ripping each other’s throats out.

Deep down, Jaehyun and his father both knew they could never have a strong relationship, and that was the way it was. Thankfully however, his dad got a second chance.

Mark was the textbook definition of the preacher’s son. The world couldn’t have supplied the family with a more devout child, who took after his dad in the ways that Jaehyun simply failed to do. Mark had moved in with their father after the divorce, when he was only ten. Jaehyun knows he was the sweet-faced cherub adored by the entire congregation; the star of the choir.

Jaehyun was proud of him, even if they lived miles apart and he would never believe in a God. 

Staying with his father for the summer because of his mother’s art exhibition abroad was Jaehyun’s worst nightmare, but if there were any silver lining here, it would be seeing Mark again for the first time in three years.

They were close, despite the circumstances and their differences. Jaehyun loved him immensely. If three months staying with his father meant he could see his younger brother, then he would at least be content with that.

Jaehyun brings himself back to reality, grounding himself as he reaches the rickety porch and returns his father’s stoic stare. 

“Jaehyun, my boy. You look well.” He spoke with a gravelly, tired tone, as though he were already exhausted by his son’s unwelcome visit. Jaehyun cringes at the formality, his mother appearing beside him. 

“I am.” Jaehyun replies, unwilling to return the compliment, and his father doesn’t look too bothered by it. Instead, his gaze falls on his ex-wife.

“You look well, Wendy.” He speaks curtly, eyeing her up and down with a frown. He always did dislike the way she dressed.

“As do you, Jack.” 

No more words were exchanged, and Jaehyun’s mother retreated to start unloading boxes from the car. The sudden sound of brakes shrieking and a yelled “Mama!” had Jaehyun whipping his head around.

Mark’s bike lay abandoned on the floor, and he was running, crashing straight into his mother’s arms. He had certainly grown, Jaehyun thinks, as he trots down the steps of the porch. Mark was dressed smartly and had the same baby fat on his cheeks, but his hair was lighter than it used to be, and his limbs were longer than Jaehyun remembered.

Three years. It was a lot of time that Jaehyun has missed out on, but finally he could see his little brother, who isn’t so little anymore now that he’s thirteen.

As soon as Mark spots him, it takes seconds for him to leap into Jaehyun’s arms.

“Hey kiddo!!” Jaehyun exclaims, chuckling as he lifts Mark and twirls him around. Mark is all laughs and smiles, which makes being here feel less like a chore. 

“Jaehyun!” He laughs as he’s placed back on his feet. “How are you? What is Chicago like right now? How’s Johnny, I miss him! How has school been? Are you still failing math, because I’m super good at that now, so I can help you if you want!” 

Mark is throwing a million and one questions at Jaehyun, and all he can do is laugh as he curls an arm around his little brother’s shoulder. He’s still as curious as ever. Thankfully that hasn't changed.

Jaehyun has always worried about Mark since he moved to Sweetwater, hoping that his father hadn’t completely changed him. Aside from the pristine clothes, the neatly combed hair and the new-found manners, Mark was still the same. 

Twenty minutes later, and a good portion of Jaehyun’s life was stacked in his father’s spare room, concealed within endless cardboard flatpack boxes. He gave his mom one last hug, before she pulled away teary eyed. He gave her a reassuring smile, masking his own despair. 

With a kiss on Mark’s head, she clambered into her car and inched down the driveway. She glanced at her sons in the rearview mirror as she left, Jaehyun waving with one hand and holding his brother close with the other. 

Within seconds, the little red car was out of sight, and Jaehyun felt more alone than he cared to admit as he guided Mark inside a house he never wanted to step inside.

Mark told him he had studying to do, and if Jaehyun were anywhere else he would tell his younger brother that summer meant no work. But when his father stepped through from the kitchen and straight into Jaehyun’s room, the words died in his throat, simply telling Mark to come and knock if he got stuck.

He doubted that would happen, Mark was a smart kid.

Jaehyun waits for his brother’s door to close before he steps into his own room, finding his father sitting back in a chair, looking out of the window. 

“Sit.” He commands, without once looking in Jaehyun’s direction. He does.

His father clears his throat and casts his eyes in his son’s direction. “Jaehyun, I have some… ground rules.”

The pause is thick with pent up anger, as father and son watch each other, awaiting the inevitable. 

“This is my house, and I will not accept any of the… youthful rebellion you were probably involved in back in Chicago. God is always watching over this house, and you are lucky I decided to shelter you this summer, especially considering your… lifestyle” Jaehyun is biting his tongue so hard he can taste something metallic, probably blood. 

“So. Rules.” His father coughs, clearly finding the silence uncomfortable.

Good.

“Number one, you will share the chores with Mark. Number two, I expect you to study for at least an hour a day. You should be setting a good example-”

“We all know how good at that I am.” The comment slipped out, but Jaehyun made no attempt to retract it, simply waiting for the glare to subside, “Number three, you will treat me with respect. Number four, your curfew is at nine o’clock. And number five, you will attend Church each week.”

Jaehyun sat motionless for a moment.

“You expect me to attend Church?” He asked, rage bubbling beneath his skin. “Seriously!?”

“Yes. I do. I am well respected here, and I will not have my eldest son disregarding his position in this household.”

“My position!?” Jaehyun coughed, but his father said nothing, “You can’t make me.” He blurted childishly, unsure of what else to say. Jaehyun was uncomfortable being forced to be scrutinized not only by his father but by God.

“You are my son!” He was standing now, yelling and red faced, “As long as you live under my roof, eat my food and share my space, you will follow my rules!”

As he left, slamming the door for added dramatic effect, Jaehyun just fell backwards on his bed and let out a frustrated sigh.

How he was going to survive three months in this fucking disaster of a house was beyond him. He’d been in the town for less than an hour and he was already contemplating a flight back home.

Jaehyun couldn’t think of a worse fate than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this - it feels so good to be writing again on AO3 after the success on 'you give me a (Headache)'.
> 
> I really hope you guys look forward to what I have in store for this fic!!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Jaehyun has a heart to heart with Mark, and vows to win his father's game.

It would become apparent to Jaehyun as he spent more time in Sweetwater, that his father was very popular. 

If his plan to stay in his room all summer wasn’t ruined by the need to eat and shower, it was completely destroyed by the amount of visitors that frequented the house. Mark was always polite and welcoming to them, but it irked Jaehyun how their father would make Mark play host. 

So, that’s how Jaehyun began helping out. His father smiles proudly at him when he brings the endless teas and biscuits through to the lounge, but he’s not doing it for him.

Jaehyun bites back any reproachful words, and he tries to ignore the homophobic couples who visit sometimes. He’s only here because he has to be, and he’s not going to leave Mark to shoulder this on his own.

Although, there are passing comments he overhears from the adjacent kitchen sometimes, which do admittedly make him feel a little smug.

“Is that your eldest?”

“He’s so polite!!”

“Well-mannered. Very handsome and respectful.”

“You must be so proud.”

He and Mark stifle a giggle at that one, both of them equally aware of how much their father resents Jaehyun’s existence.

This goes on the entire week, the fragile air of the house still intact, until Saturday. Jaehyun went out for the day to get a feel of the place, seeing as he would be living here for the next three months.

The sun is low in the sky by the time Jaehyun walks through his front door. Considering it's summer, he has no idea if he made his curfew or not, but he figures it out when he sees his father glaring menacingly from his seat in the lounge.

"Jaehyun."

"Father."

He looks pointedly at the clock, but Jaehyun considers that two minutes wasn't the end of the world. His father catches his attention as he smacks his newspaper down on the table.

"Where were you?"

"Out."

"Don't get clever with me, boy."

Jaehyun sighs, pawing at his eyes in frustration. "I went for a walk."

"All day?? You missed your curfew, you didn't call, you didn't come home for dinner… Mark's been worried sick!"

Jaehyun notes how his father wasn’t worried, "Is he okay?"

"Oh, so you care?" His father spat, and anger boiled over in Jaehyun's gut. He takes a stride towards his father.

"Don't you fucking dare."

"You're swearing at me! Under my roof? Under the eyes of God!?"

Silence settles uncomfortably in the shrinking gap between them, Jaehyun's hands curled into shaking fists by his sides. He doesn't know how much it will take to push him over the edge, but that comment about Mark very nearly did it.

As Mark crosses his mind, he takes a step back, trying to calm his breathing. He’s not going to make a scene. Jaehyun retreats toward the hallway.

"You'll be joining us tomorrow morning. Bright and early, mister."

Jaehyun would rather be anywhere else, do anything else… but he knows he's pushing it. He's deliberately pushing his father's buttons, and it's been so long that Jaehyun doesn't know much it would take for war to break out between them.

His father takes his silence as a yes, "I’ll see you there."

Jaehyun continues walking until he reaches his room, locking himself away for yet another night under this judgemental roof.

Oh, how he wishes he could disappear.

-

Jaehyun is woken by a stream of sunlight in his eyes, accompanied by the Sunday morning bird song. 

He realises that in last night's rage, he forgot to close his curtains, and curses under his breath. 

His one chance at sleeping through Church.

As though trying to ensure Jaehyun doesn't miss his appointment with God, there's a knock at the door.

"Jaehyun?" 

He perks up at the sound of Mark's sweet voice, and rolls out of bed, tugging on a shirt as he opens the door.

"G'morning buddy." He says, ruffling his brother's hair. "Sleep well?"

Mark hums, and the two of them make their way to the kitchen. 

Jaehyun makes breakfast in relative silence, Mark perched on the counter and swinging his legs. Their father is at the Church preparing for the service, or else Mark wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

It was too 'rebellious'.

Jaehyun doesn’t get it. What sadist doesn't let a kid sit on the kitchen counter top? It’s not like he’s committing any crimes.

The thought provokes a question.

"Mark," Jaehyun turns, "Are you happy here?"

He looks quite taken aback by the question, but after a pause, Mark nods slowly. "Yeah. I'm happy. Why?"

Jaehyun shrugs, "You know how dad and I… are." He frowns at the physical difficulty of referring to that man as anything but 'father', but he makes the effort, "I just… well, I want to make sure he's not restricting you too much."

"Well, it's not like life in Chicago was. It's a lot calmer and more… sheltered. The people around here are much more respectful too. No offence, of course."

"None taken little dude." Jaehyun smiles, and Mark gratefully takes the food handed to him.

"But…"

"But?" 

"Well, I don't know. Sometimes I worry that I'm going to be… behind." Mark takes a breath before resting his head on a cupboard and continuing, "All my friends get to stay out later, and they don't have to dress so nice all the time. Some of them get to listen to music that they don't play in Church, and my best friend Haechan even has video games!"

"Mark… are you telling me you don’t?" 

Mark's shoulders fall and Jaehyun remembers fondly how much they used to enjoy playing video games together.

Jaehyun's heart sinks.

"Yeah. Yeah, pretty much." Mark mumbles around a mouthful of toast.

"Shit…"

"Jae!"

"Sorry…" Jaehyun rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, turning off the stove and joining Mark on the countertop.

They sit in silence for a while, before Mark speaks, “He’s not all bad. We play scrabble every Sunday night, and sometimes we go fishing at the creek. It’s not… I’m not ungrateful. He’s my dad, and I love him. It isn’t like I’m miserable, my life is just… different, I suppose.”

“I know Mark. I just worry.”

Jaehyun turns his head as he feels a smaller hand grab his own, feeling comforted by the gesture, “I’m okay. Really, I am.”

Jaehyun nods, simply holding his brother, unable to tell Mark that he misses him and wishes he came back to Chicago to live a normal life as a free kid. That’s not his decision to make. 

Instead, he says, “Eat up. We’re going to be late.”

-

Twenty minutes later, and Jaehyun's ass was in the most uncomfortable wooden pew known to man. Like holy shit, he had to sit here for two hours.

Every muscle screamed in protest, but Jaehyun straightened his back and stared ahead, not about to crumble under his father’s gaze.

If he wanted to play this game, where Jaehyun is his prime and perfect eldest son, then Jaehyun was going to play along. 

And he was going to win.

He managed to pass the time by focusing on pulling bobbles from his jacket, and counting the squares on the patterned blazer of the woman in front of him. He perked up when the choir sang, sending soft smiles over to Mark and listening to his voice.

His little brother was the closest thing to an angel to exist. Hopefully, he could be Jaehyun’s guardian angel and guide him through the next three months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, thank you so much for reading! The love I've been getting for this fic has been incredible, and I hope you all are enjoying it! This is the last chapter before a certain Lee Taeyong is introduced.... so look out for the next one!!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Jaehyun meets the infamous Lee Taeyong.

As the service came to an end, he followed the rush of people scrambling to leave, because the Church had no air conditioning and it was the heat of the Sahara outside.

Jaehyun splits from the crowd, sending kind waves and smiles to the people who recognise him. He leans against a wall and stuffs his hands in his pockets, mindlessly people-watching as he waits for Mark and his father.

His eyes don’t linger, skipping from one person to the next, each as boring as the last.

But then, at just the right moment illuminated by just the right amount of sunshine, Jaehyun sees him.

There’s a boy, probably his age, standing nonchalantly on a longboard and gliding down the road. He’s all dressed up for somewhere else, his oversized pink shirt scrawled on with marker pen and tucked messily into a pair of jeans that has more rips than material. There’s a triangular tattoo on his forearm and what looks like inked flowers winking from the collar of his shirt. The boy has a lip piercing, and too many jewels in his ear to count, strands of blue hair intertwined with silver chains and hoops. 

Jaehyun can’t for the life of him tear his eyes away. The kid looks like he stepped straight out of tumblr and into a place that just wasn’t made for him. 

And then Jaehyun’s breath hitches because there’s a pair of sharp blue eyes bearing down on his own, challenging his own gaze, and they belong to him.

Fuck, he’s seen him.

As much as he feels ashamed, he just can’t tear his eyes away. He watches as the stranger breaks eye contact and kicks up his board, folding it under his arm. The boy pads over to the church, eyes focused on the ground, and unwraps a blood red lollipop. He settles it between his teeth and pulls himself up to sit onto the wall, swinging his feet like a child.

Jaehyun’s heart is going supersonic by the time he manages to tear his eyes away, trying to focus on anything but the really attractive, strange boy sitting 3 feet away from him. But he’s curious and gay and has a disgusting lack of restraint, and Jaehyun finds himself glancing back over to the stranger…

Who happens to be looking at him.

However, unlike the last time Jaehyun got caught, the other boy doesn’t look away. He straightens his back and tilts his head with interest, plucking the sweet from his mouth and clicking his tongue. He looks Jaehyun up and down, before pointing at him with the lollipop.

“What’s your deal?”

“Um, what?”

“You’re staring.” The boy points out, eyebrow raised, “At me.”

Jaehyun fidgets awkwardly and wipes his clammy hands on his jeans as he tries to come up with a plausible excuse. Before he can figure one out, however, the boy speaks again.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” The corner of the boy’s mouth quirks in what could be a smile, before hopping down from the wall. He lands surprisingly gracefully and steps right in front of Jaehyun, “You’re a new face.” 

The stranger is suddenly very close and breathing steadily is no longer an option.

“Who are you?” The boy asks.

Jaehyun swallows, trying to steady his voice so he doesn’t sound too flustered, “Jaehyun.”

“Jaehyun,” The boy muses, tasting the word on his tongue, “Jaehyun… Why do you like to stare at me Jaehyun?”

“I- I don’t…”

The boy smirks, looking amused, “You don’t? Oh, my bad. Must’ve been a coincidence.”

“Must’ve been.”

“Or two.”

“Yeah...”

The stranger nods, looking satisfied, before turning to walk away. “Wait!” Jaehyun calls out, before he can bite his tongue.

The boy has a cocky smile on his face as he turns around, “Yes, Jaehyun?”

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“Why’d you wanna know?”

Jaehyun doesn’t have an answer to that, so he settled for making eye contact with the other boy until he caved. Unfortunately, however, life had other plans.

Mark bolted out of the church and came crashing into Jaehyun, knocking the wind out of his lungs and simultaneously sending him stumbling over himself. He doesn’t think it’s physically possible to be anymore embarrassed than he is at this very moment.

“Yo, Jae!” Mark laughs, and Jaehyun kinda wants to cry.

“Hey, Mark.” He grumbles, glancing up to see the stranger - who’s name he still didn’t know - with an eyebrow raised and a shit-eating grin on his face.

“The name’s Taeyong.” He said, that smile still carved onto his face, “Lee Taeyong.”

Jaehyun lets the word sit on his tongue, deciding not to speak it out loud to get a feel for it, because that’s weird. People don’t just ask your name and then repeat it like they’re weird.

Jaehyun isn’t weird.

Before he can embarrass himself, however, a looming shadow appears in the way of the morning sunshine. Jaehyun feels a shudder run down his spine.

“Mark. Jaehyun. We should be going.” The voice is low, commanding and most importantly, belongs to his father. 

He dares to look up, and is mildly surprised to find that his eyes aren’t boring into Jaehyun’s skull like a drill. Instead, his eyes are fixed on Taeyong, who is staring him down, and the air is suddenly thick with tension.

“Lee Taeyong. Why, it certainly is a surprise to see you around here.”

“Good morning Mr Jung!” Taeyong chirps, sarcasm dripping from his tongue so heavily it makes Jaehyun fear for the boy’s life, “How was the service? I hated to miss it.”

“Of course.” Despite the grit in his father’s throat, Jaehyun can still see a mischievous glint in Taeyong’s eyes as he leans casually against the wall. He was challenging him. No one ever challenged Jaehyun’s father.

Jaehyun wanted to give Taeyong a standing ovation.

As their father led him and Mark home, Jaehyun couldn’t help but duck his head and smile. As they turned the corner, Jaehyun turned and caught the boy’s eye, which held a glint of mischief and wonder which made him wonder if this was real, or if he’d got caught up with an imp.

Taeyong flashed him his brightest, wildest grin before he pushed away on his board, sailing down the street heading somewhere in the distant Sunday sun.

Try as he might for the rest of the day, it was impossible to shake Taeyong off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 3!  
> I hope you enjoyed reading - I was so excited to post this chapter as we finally meet the local rebel Lee Taeyong!  
> Look forward to the next update and thank you for reading :)
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Jaehyun finds a slice of heaven that doesn't belong to him.

Jaehyun had found a small slice of heaven in this town. 

He had spent the past few hours wandering the flat, suburban streets of Sweetwater, waving at friendly old ladies and nodding politely to the gentlemen they were with. Children ran round his feet, their parents asking after his father.

As aggravating as it was, having to constantly talk about him, Jaehyun couldn’t help being amused. He’d fooled everyone into believing he was the preacher’s flawless eldest son, who did no wrong and made his father ‘proud’.

It seemed like the best kind of revenge.

Jaheyun had kept exploring, pushing in his earphones as less people rounded the corners, and eventually found himself at the edge of town. He hadn’t even been sure this town had an end. 

Past the rusting sign on his left was a long road splitting the world in half as it climbed out of Sweetwater, but on his right, Jaehyun spotted a thin dirt path, winding its way past shrubbery and the odd tree into the unknown.

Jaehyun felt compelled to follow it. 

He had spent a couple of hours that day treading the dirt path, picking colourful flowers and watching birds fly overhead, until he reached a clearing, fenced in by greenery. 

There was a wide lake in front of him, the water clear and sparkling in the afternoon sun that filtered through the leaf canopy, the edges dotted with lily pads, canes and weeds. The ground was blanketed by emerald grass, with small white and yellow flowers scattered at intervals up to the tree line.

Jaehyun wasn’t sure he’d seen a more beautiful place in his life. 

He let his feet carry him towards the lakeside, toeing off his sneakers and plopping down at the water’s edge. 

Jaehyun sat swinging his legs in the crystal water, picking at the hem of his shorts absentmindedly. He watched as frogs hopped between lily pads and a handful of small fish swam by him curiously. 

His hands felt behind him for his bag, and retrieved his notebook and a pencil. Jaehyun had an overwhelming urge to write, trying to find a place to begin.

Soon, he began to scribble on the page, burning to put everything he was feeling on paper. The lapped at the sides of the pond when the breeze stuttered past, and Jaehyun couldn’t think about anything else, just the water, the paper, and the scratching of his pencil. 

As he turned the page, there was a rustling sound but Jaehyun was too absorbed to notice.

All too suddenly, a hand on his shoulder yanked him from his thoughts. Jaehyun yelped and threw the book somewhere behind him, his pencil landing his a plop in the water and sinking below the surface.

Jaehyun turned and felt his breath catch in his throat. 

“It’s you.” He blurted, before he could stop himself.

It was him, the strange boy from the church - Lee Taeyong. He looked similar to when Jaehyun last saw him, except the pink sweater had been traded in for a black button down and he was wearing light wash shorts. Taeyong’s eyes were still as piercing as ever, and Jaehyun felt intimidated by the boy, his board tucked under his arm as he rearranged his black beanie.

Taeyong stared at Jaehyun for an uncomfortably long time, cocking his head to the side in thought, as if he wasn’t sure what to say just yet. Jaehyun wasn’t sure himself, trying to ignore how blown away he felt by the boy’s presence and come up with a coherent sentence.

Taeyong cleared his throat and caught Jaehyun’s attention, “Why are you here.”

Jaehyun was taken aback at the question, expecting more of a greeting, or even silence. 

Taeyong snapped his fingers impatiently, “I asked you a question. What are you doing here?”

“Taeyong.. I- Well.” Jaehyun cleared his throat, desperately trying to not appear like he was braindead, “I was just wandering and sorta… ended up here?” He scratched the back of his head, and watched Taeyong shift from one foot to the other. “I don’t know, I just-”

“Well, whatever your reason,” Taeyong interrupted, staring right through him as he chewed on his lower lip, “You gotta go.”

“What? What do you mean, I ‘gotta go’?”

“Come on man, just leave. You shouldn’t be here anyway.” Taeyong huffed, and dropped his backpack and board at the river’s edge, as if to claim it. He put a hand on his hip when Jaehyun simply sat staring up at him, seemingly annoyed.

“Are you deaf, or are you stupid? Move. Go away.”

“Why are you being such a dick,” Jaehyun exhaled, watching as Taeyong sat by the side of him, pulling off his boots and submerging his feet, just as Jaehyun did, “What have I done, hmm?”

“Look, I don’t even know you - you popped up outta nowhere - and here you are, in my spot, acting like it's yours! Well, it’s been claimed. I was here first.”

“Sorry.. Your spot?” Jaehyun scoffed, “What are you, six years old?”

Taeyong drilled holes into Jaehyun’s eyes for a moment, prodding his tongue against his teeth as though he wanted to say something, a frown etched into his forehead. After a moment, he simply huffed, and cast his gaze over the water, an uncomfortable silence settling like a fine dust in the space between them.

Jaehyun, however, couldn’t help but steal glances at Taeyong, despite the awkward and very tangible tension between them. There was just something about the way his eyes sparkled in the soft sunshine and his lips were stuck in this permanent pout and the freckles sitting next door to his ears that Jaehyun just loved.

“Do you stare at people often?”

Jaehyun snapped out of his daze so fast he swears he got whiplash, meeting the boy’s eyes and feeling the blood pool in his cheeks, “I- uhm…”

“Y’know, for someone who stares so shamelessly, you aren’t half shy.” Taeyong inquired, quirking an eyebrow with the slightest smirk. It was faint, but there nonetheless.

“Y’know, for someone so passive-aggressive, you aren’t half flirty.” Jaehyun replied before he could stop himself. The second the words left his mouth, he felt like curling into a ball far away from human eyes in a deep hole somewhere.

This is it. This is how he dies.

But, by some merciful turn of fate, for some reason Jaehyun couldn’t work out for the life of him, Taeyong giggled. It was this small, barely concealed sound hidden playfully behind the back of his hand, and it sounded like chiming bells around the beginning of December, or the laugh of a small, innocent child. And suddenly, the awkwardness simply melted away.

Jaehyun was awestruck.

It’s not everyday he encounters the town’s ‘mystery boy’ who proceeds to call him stupid, sit by him in silence, flirt with him and then giggle at him.

He wasn’t sure he could take many more surprises, yet this town just kept throwing them at his head like they were footballs and he were the net. 

The next burst of silence was less awkward, yet Jaehyun still felt compelled to say something, anything to break it. He just couldn’t work out how to hold a conversation with Taeyong, he seemed so unpredictable and strange… Jaehyun had no idea why he was ever here; he didn’t even know where to even begin.

Luckily, he didn’t have to, because it ended up being Taeyong who broke the ice; “Sorry I snapped. It’s just my little… slice of heaven, I guess. Far away from that town.”

Jaehyun hummed and nodded, comforted a little by the comfortable atmosphere settling between the pair. 

Taeyong spoke up again, “Why are you in Sweetwater? I know you don’t belong here, you walk around like you’re wearing a stiff collar. So what’s the deal?”

“Why should I tell you?” Jaehyun pushed back, but with no real bite. 

Taeyong grinned, as though Jaehyun had said exactly the right thing, and clicked his tongue as he leant his face into the sun, his head tilted back and eyes half-closed, “How ‘bout this? You answer my questions, I’ll answer yours,” Taeyong turned to face Jaehyun, studying him with bright eyes, “I know you have some, so I’d say it’s a fair deal, Jaehyun.”

“You remember my name?”

“You remember mine.”

“Touche.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I never agreed to your ‘deal’.”

“Hmm. Alright. Guess I’ll just go then-”

“Wait!” The yelp slipped from Jaehyun’s lips faster than he expected, Taeyong pausing where he had started to stand. He hesitated, but plopped back down on the grass, listening expectantly, “I don’t live here. I have never even been here before. Sweetwater, I mean.”

“Well yeah, sugar, I gathered that much.”

Jaehyun tried not to blush at the casual nickname, brushing it aside, “I’m staying with my father for the summer while my mom’s abroad. Not that I want to be here, but it is what it is I guess…” Jaehyun shrugged.

“I’m gonna guess you’re not your dad’s biggest fan?” Taeyong questioned, tilting his head like he was a small puppy.

“Uh-uh! You had your question! It’s my turn,” Jaehyun paused for a moment, thinking deeply. “Why did you call my father Mr. Jung?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s a priest, so technically he’s Father Jung. Why didn’t you call him that?”

“Same reason I don’t go to church.” Taeyong smiled, tongue prodding between his teeth, the glint of a metal piercing showing through.

“Why’s that?” 

“Uh-uh!” Taeyong exclaimed, and Jaehyun couldn’t help but smile at Taeyong copying his remark, and the little giggle that escaped when he did, “Hmm… Where are you from?”

“Chicago.”

“Ahh, city boy. Figured. Miss it?”

“Like hell.” Jaehyun responded, ignoring that that was a second question, and technically cheating, because let’s face it, he’s weak for a man in a beanie, “So why don’t you go to church?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading!  
> I'm so sorry about the wait for this chapter, I've been busy!
> 
> Hope to see you guys in the next update!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf
> 
> Twitter : @candyflossyong1


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where we learn more about Taeyong and Mark.

Taeyong hesitated, biting his lip, “Have you noticed how this town seems just a bit too perfect? Kinda like it’s too good to be true? That’s because it is. These people, they bake muffins and host playdates and plant vegetable gardens and hold craft fairs… But they’re not nice people.”

“They seem nice enough…” Jaehyun hesitated. He might not like it here, but everyone he had interacted with was sweet - sickly sweet, sure, but they were harmless enough. Right?

“Oh, Jaehyun. You haven’t seen them the way I have. If they had it their way, they’d kick me straight over the town line!” Taeyong chuckled sarcastically, throwing his head back, “ _‘You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.’_ \- Leviticus, Chapter 18 Verse 22.”

Jaehyun paused for a moment, “They’re..”

“Ohh yeah! 100%. They couldn’t be more homophobic if they tried..” Taeyong spat, casting his eyes to the water.

Jaehyun thought about it.

He thought about the kinds of service his father gave, the way he hadn’t seen a single same sex couple since he arrived, the way that any hint of a taboo topic was hushed from the conversation like it was a sin to even speak it aloud.

Then it hit him.

“Wait, you’re..”

“Me? Yeah! I’m gay, and proud of it too. You gotta be like that in a town like this, or it gets under your skin. Nasty stuff, hate,” Taeyong tutted with a click of his tongue, “That’s why I worry about that brother of yours, he’s one of the quiet ones. Buries it.”

His brother?

All sound seems to be vacuumed from the world as thoughts rush into Jaehyun's mind like a river. He thinks about the way his father always used to say ‘I won’t let him turn out like his brother’. The way his father stopped them playing together after Jaehyun came out. The way he sheltered Mark, making sure he dressed and acted a certain way. Controlling his every move, almost as though he...

Was Mark…?

Jaehyun sprung up as though the ground was ablaze, and began pulling his shoes on.

“Jae, what’s the matter?”

“I-I’m sorry, I gotta go. I’m so sorry!” Jaehyun exclaimed, calling out behind him as he ran from the clearing, mind set only on getting back home.

Minutes later, Jaehyun burst through the front door, knowing that his father was at the church setting up the next service. He dropped his keys by the door and bounded towards Mark’s room. Normally, Jaehyun would have knocked, but in his panicked state, he simply burst through the door, “Mark! Mark, I-”

The room was so silent that a penny could drop, and the couple next door with the twin daughters would hear it. Jaehyun wanted to say so many things, he wanted to react in so many different ways, but his mind pulled a blank. He stopped dead, leaning against the door frame as the petite brunette boy pulled back from Mark, scooped up his things and pushed past Jaehyun through the door. Mark sat on the floor in a stunned silence, face red and eyes watering.

Jaehyun didn’t know what to do.

After a moment, Mark turned to face his older brother, his expression unreadable, and Jaehyun _just didn’t know what to do_.

“Mark, I-”

“Get out.”

The silence was so thick it was suffocating.

“Mark…”

“Get out. Get out!! Get the _fuck_ out Jae!!!"

Jaehyun stumbled backwards, and Mark scrambled to his feet, tears pouring down his face as he slammed the door. Jaehyun heard Mark collapse against it and choke on a sob.

Jaehyun slid down the door as his heart clenched tightly in his chest. He wanted to talk to Mark, because if what Taeyong had implied was true, he wanted Mark to know he had someone in his corner. Someone who understood. Someone to protect him… but that someone had just shattered Mark into a dozen pieces and scattered him across the floor.

Jaehyun didn't know what to do.

-

Taeyong was mad.

No, actually, fuck that. He was _upset_.

He didn’t imagine Jaehyun as the kind of guy to be a homophobe, but hey, guess life is full of surprises. The second Taeyong admitted to being gay, he acted like the rest of this damned town and took off without a word.

Taeyong was beginning to wonder if everyone he would ever meet would be like this.

Jaehyun was supposed to be the exception. Taeyong read him as the kind of guy who wouldn't mind, maybe even a bit flexible himself... But hey, what else should Taeyong expect from the priest’s son?

Of course it has to play out like this.

No cute guy from the city has ever looked at Taeyong twice without an agenda or a grudge. He scuffed his trainers against the asphalt, glancing up when he reached his front door. Taeyong paused, clammy hands balled into fists by his sides as he took a deep breath.

As Taeyong walks in, it’s as if everything has been muted. He bites his tongue - a nervous habit - when he spots his family watching television in the other room. Taeyong clicks the door shut softly and toes off his boots, before disappearingnup the stairs as quickly and quietly as he can.

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in when he's safely tucked away in his room.

Flopping down on his bed, Taeyong wonders just how much of an idiot he had to be to think Jaehyun was anything different to any of the others in this _damn_ town.

Exhausted and aggravated, he turns his face towards his window and lets the sunset glow on his face, shutting his eyes against the slight warmth of the dying sun. Maybe, one day, Taeyong will find someone who can accept him exactly the way it is.

He just wonders how far away that day is.

-

“Mark, please talk to me.” A thick, angry silence is all he is met with, “C’mon buddy I know you can hear me. Just open the door. We can talk about this.”

Jaehyun has spent the last thirty minutes asking Mark to open the door, to talk to him - anything, really - and has received no reply. He hasn’t budged from his spot on the floor the entire time. Jaehyun doesn’t care if Mark cries, if he screams and shouts, if he hits him… Jaehyun just wants him to say something.

 _Anything_.

This is probably the hardest thing Jaehyun has ever had to do, and he just can’t tell what Mark needs.

Does he need his space? Does he need to talk? To vent? It seems strange to Jaehyun that he’s had all these thoughts and fears before, experienced everything that Mark is now dealing with, and yet he has no idea how to help.

He supposes it has something to do with the fact no-one even offered him help at the time.

Jaehyun sighs defeatedly, and decides that Mark isn’t going to open up anytime soon, and probably just needs space. He moves to stand up.

“Jae..?”

Jaehyun stops dead in his tracks, “Mark?”

There’s a small silence, but eventually, Mark speaks up, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry..? Why?”

“I- I know that it’s wrong. Dad _told_ me. He’s told me again and again, and read me all the verses and made all the threats and.. Well he told me how it messes people up, told me that if I turned out like.. You..” Mark pauses, as though he feels guilty for saying this about Jaehyun, but he knows it’s his father’s words, not Mark’s. “B-but I know you’re not a bad person, and it’s just how I feel, right? But… I can't help but feel so.. _wrong_. So awful! Jae, I’m _scared_.”

Mark doesn’t need to say it, Jaehyun knows exactly who his brother is afraid of.

He decides to lock away the anger he feels towards his father for later, now just isn’t the time.

“Mark, listen to me. Listen close. There is, never has been and never will be anything wrong with you. Not a thing. Being gay, or bi, or whatever… there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not bad, not sinful, not _wrong_. However you feel or think is okay. I mean that. There is nothing wrong with you, Mark. And so long as I'm here, you don't ever have to be afraid. I'll always be there to protect you.”

All of a sudden, the door opens behind Jaehyun and Mark wraps him in a tight hug as he cries into his shoulder. “I don’t know what to do Jaehyun, I’m so sorry.”

Jaehyun holds his brother close and rubs soothing circles into his back, shushing him gently, “It’s okay, Mark. It’s alright. We’ll figure it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! I know this has a little bit of a plot diversion but I'm looking for it to all tie together nicely, and the unintentional conflict between Yong and Jae (at least from Taeyong's perspective) should shape the rest of this arc!!
> 
> Again, sorry for the late update, I've been kind of ia because of exams and other stuff, but I really hope you enjoyed reading and I'll see you for the next chapter!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Taeyong is angry and Jaehyun is confused.

Taeyong often found Sundays to be his favourite days. 

While the whole town was hiding away in their church preaching outdated scripture, Taeyong was free to wander and explore. He could actually feel free in this place. 

He swerved his longboard into another street, gazing lazily at the sky as he swept through suburbia with its perfectly trimmed lawns and white picket fences. Not a single blade of grass was out of place. It was all so perfect.

It was sickening. 

The sun was blazing down on him, bathing him in a comforting warmth, and Taeyong could almost kid himself into being happy. 

It was strange to him, existing in such a perfect, idyllic little town and yet… Life here could be absolutely perfect if he wasn’t so different.

Taeyong brought himself to a halt and sat down on his board, drawing his knees up to his chest. He sighed. 

Everything was okay until a few years back. 

His choice to come out hadn’t come lightly, and he finds himself trying his hardest not to regret that decision. 

He came out at 13, hoping that the parents who had loved and spoiled him his entire life would understand, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. His father had retreated in silence to his office, and didn’t speak to him for weeks, burying himself in work. His mother had dissolved into hysterics, unable to get her head around it. She had insisted on conversion therapy at first, and has never forgiven him for turning down the 'offer'.

It had broken his heart when his older sister started bullying him at school. It was bad enough that the other kids with their censored and religiously dictated upbringings mocked and threatened him, but when it was his own sister?

That pain was unimaginable.

Taeyong looked up at the sky, wondering what it was about this place. 

Why could nobody he ever met be the supportive loving figure he’s been lacking for four years?

His mind turns to Jaehyun, and he feels sick.

When he first met Jaehyun outside that church, he could tell that he was someone new from some faraway place, and his animated interactions made Taeyong certain that he’d be his chance.

His chance to be accepted, finally, by someone. Even from across the street, Taeyong could just tell that he liked Jaehyun, before they'd even spoken.

There was a certain sparkle in his eyes that Taeyong thought he could trust.

Turns out, he was wrong.

“Taeyong!”

The voice was achingly familiar, and he didn’t bother to look up as he heard rapid footsteps approaching. “Taeyong! I’ve been looking… everywhere… in this damn town… for you.” Jaehyun stopped beside him, his words broken by gasps for breath.

Without a word, Taeyong got up and pushed off the ground, sailing away on his board, his back firmly to Jaehyun. 

He heard sputtered sounds of confusion behind him, “W-wait, Tae! Where are you- wait, where are you going?”

The footsteps picked up again. Taeyong must’ve underestimated the boy’s athleticism, because a few seconds later a hand grasped his shoulder. He was pulled off the board, which rolled away and collided with a nearby lamppost. 

Taeyong tripped down onto the road, gasping as his fall was broken by Jaehyun's arms. His hands were gripping his arms tightly as their eyes met, and it took Taeyong a couple of seconds to snap out of it.

“Get the fuck off me!” Taeyong wrestled out of his grip, his eyes blazing as he pulled away from Jaehyun, “Don’t touch me!”

“Taeyong! What the hell has got into you?”

“What the hell has got into me? Fuck, Jaehyun, look in the mirror! You’re the problem here.” 

"What- Taeyong, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Jaehyun. Just don't. I know who you really are now, guess I was too naive, huh? So hopeful that you would be different than them. You were the first person in years to actually tolerate me!" Taeyong dragged a hand through his hair exasperatedly, "But hey, the second you realise I'm gay? You run a fucking mile! Well, thanks a lot Jaehyun for not being the first person in my life to disappoint me!"

The entire street was swamped in silence, and Taeyong couldn't seem to stop glaring at Jaehyun, who stood with his mouth open.

"Nothing to say?" Taeyong spat.

"Taeyong…"

"Oh, wow, he speaks, huh!?"

"Taeyong."

"Amazing, well I wonder what-"

"Taeyong!"

"-he could possibly have-"

"I'm gay!"

"-to say, I-" Taeyong stopped himself, as his chest started to constrict and his heartbeat grew louder and louder in his ears. 

Apparently Jaehyun took Taeyong’s silence as an invitation to continue.

"I'm gay! Okay!? And I didn't run a mile because of you, it has nothing to do with that! I had to go and see Mark! That’s what I left so urgently. After what you said I had to make sure he was okay."

"Your brother…"

"Yes, Taeyong!" Jaehyun sighed exhaustedly, relief clear in his voice.

"So, you're cool with it..?"

Jaehyun had the audacity to chuckle, "Cool with it? Taeyong, you're not the only boy on earth who likes to kiss other boys, y'know." 

A grinning Jaehyun dropped down to sit on the road, leaning against the curb. 

He patted the tarmac, and Taeyong joined him.

"Well, sometimes it feels that way." He mumbled, trying hard not to look Jaehyun in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry. I just… well, it's been a long time since someone didn't care. A long time."

Taeyong jumped slightly as he felt a hand on his own, and found himself looking up into Jaehyun’s soft, sweet eyes despite himself. 

“I understand.” Jaehyun whispered, tightening his grip.

Taeyong smiled, and knew that he believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,, so sorry for the wait! My Christmas was more hectic than I expected!  
> Thank you to anyone who has been waiting for this fic, and thanks to anyone who's read it - I appreciate all the hits, comments and kudos and really hope you're enjoying this fic!  
> This will probably be my last update this year, so I wish you all a Happy New Year and will see you with more updates in 2021!!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Jaehyun and Taeyong confide in each other.

As it turns out, summer lasts a long fucking time.

Jaehyun hadn’t quite realised how endless summer was until he wasn’t partying with his friends and sleeping over a hangover the next day. Ha hadn't realised it until he couldn't spend a weekend at the lake house with Johnny, or until he couldn't work a couple days at his local diner, or until he wasn't sleeping off yesterday's hangover.

People had told him all his life, “time flies when you’re having fun”.

As it turned out, people were right. He just hadn’t noticed how little fun he was having until time stopped flying, and simply crashed into a heap on the ground.

Jaehyun was running out of things to keep him occupied, and in a town like this, his supply was running dry far too quickly for his liking; especially since he still had four weeks until his mom came to his rescue.

Jaehyun hated to admit it, but he was dying for school to begin again. He actually wanted summer to end.

He supposes to only thing that’s made this summer worthwhile was Taeyong, and even that was a fragile thing.

Jaehyun drops his comic in his lap with a sigh, leaning his head back against the wall. 

He’s lucky that he and Taeyong were able to patch things up yesterday.

As it turned out, he’d given Taeyong the worst idea possible by running off when he did, but they’d spent several hours together yesterday wandering the empty streets and talking. 

Jaehyun can’t even remember what they were talking about, all he knows is that he’d enjoyed every moment of their conversation.

Eventually, they turned into Jaehyun’s street and said their goodbyes. Taeyong had placed a rolled up comic book into Jaehyun’s palm before he skated round a corner, out of sight. 

The comic was an old one, probably from the 80s, and had tattered edges with the odd tear and creased page. Jaehyun likes the fact that Taeyong reads broken vintage comics, and he also liked the way his eyes shone when he said “it's one of my favourites, Jae, don’t go wrecking it.”

He likes that Taeyong is funny.

He likes Taeyong, and he supposes that if the boy with the longboard and the old comics and the cold shoulder and the vintage comic collection is all that this summer has to offer him, then that’s alright by Jaehyun.

A sharp sound comes and goes like a thunderstorm, breaking his train of thought. Jaehyun's eyes scan the dim room, his eyes landing on his window just in time to watch a small, brown pebble hit the glass.

The same sound echoes through the room.

By the third stone, Jaehyun is on his feet, and shortly after the fourth, he’s gazing out the window. Jaehyun’s eyes fix on a figure in his backyard, moonlight cast over their face as they grin, and drop a fistful of stones back into the dewey grass.

Taeyong looks up at him with wide eyes, and Jaehyun wants to ask him why he’s standing in his garden, but he’s conscious of his father catching him talking with a boy under his window.

As if he read his mind, Taeyong simply crooks his fingers.

Follow me.

Without a word, he backs into the shadows, and Jaehyun doesn’t even hesitate. 

A few moments later, after pulling on a jacket and sneaking through his sleeping house, Jaehyun clicks the front door shut behind him as quietly as possible. Movement at the end of his garden attracts his attention, and he jogs across the grass, jumping the fence.

The second he drops into the next street, a small, cold hand clasps his own. Jaehyun looks into Taeyong’s bright eyes as he whispers, “Come on,” and pulls him along.

The two boys fly down the street hand in hand, and Jaehyun can’t bring himself to care about the pounding of his boots on the midnight concrete, or the way his heart beats in his ears.

A million twists and turns later, Taeyong is leading Jaehyun across a football field, their shadows emphasised by a dozen overhead flood lights. 

Hand in hand, they climb the bleachers until they flop down halfway up, Jaehyun ignoring the sinking feeling he gets when Taeyong lets go of his hand.

“I know I have my own little spot, somewhere that no one else knows about,” Taeyong starts, running a hand through his hair and leaning back, “Or at least, knew about..” He chuckles softly, and Jaehyun watches the way his fingers tap against the dull metal of the bleacher beneath him, gaze fixed across the field, “But it’s not installed with floodlights I’m afraid, and given the circumstances… I’d like to see your face.” As he speaks those last few words, Taeyong tilts his head and looks Jaehyun in the eye, a soft smile dancing across his lips.

“How do you know about this place?” Jaehyun asks, barely above a whisper, as though someone is listening from just around the corner. 

Taeyong shrugs, sweeping his hair to one side with his fingers and letting the strands fall back again, “I go to school here, and I know the team doesn’t practice during the summer. Not that I’m very informed about football, it’s never been my thing.”

“Me too.” Jaehyun quips, readjusting himself so that he’s comfortable.

“This is my second favourite place. It’s quiet, and eerily bright, but only during the summer.”

“Because the team doesn’t practice during the summer.”

“Exactly.”

Jaehyun doesn’t know how long they sit together in silence after that, mostly because he didn't mind it. Somehow, Taeyong made silence so comfortable.

Jaehyun is the first to break it, “You’re quite lonely, aren’t you.” It’s not a question, because he knows the answer. What Jaehyun really wants to know is, “Why?”

Taeyong sighs dejectedly, “It’s a long story.”

“It’s a long summer.”

“You’re right.” Taeyong chuckles, “Around here, summers last a couple years at least.”

“Yeah I’ve noticed… but only because I’m alone too.”

Taeyong nods, drawing his knees to his chest, “I guess that’s why. You’re right Jaehyun, I am lonely. You’re the first person in a long time who’s spent time with me.”

“No friends?”

“Not a single one.”

“Family?”

“See, that’s the hard one.” Taeyong frowns, as though he’s solving an equation, “They used to be... okay. With me. But then I came out, and it was like… they became different people. That sounds silly I know, but-”

“No. No, it doesn’t.” Jaehyun watches as Taeyong turns to him, eyes full of sadness. Jaehyun likes Taeyong’s eyes, “It doesn’t sound silly.”

“How did they take it?”

“It was a 50/50 thing.”

“Is that why your dad lives here?”

Jaehyun stops for a second, breathing deeply, “Yeah.”

Jaehyun’s heart rate picks up ever so slightly when that small hand is placed back over his own, and he feels himself start to crumble, “What happened Jae?” Taeyong whispers it, sliding a thumb over his cheek and collecting up a tear that he hadn’t even noticed.

And just like that, it all came tumbling out.

“You know, the second I said it, the second the word ‘gay’ left my mouth, my mother held me tight. I felt this wave of relief, this.. warmth. B-but then it happened. He was sitting there, across the room, and he- he just said ‘no’. He said he wouldn’t allow any son of his to be a sinner, and spent the weeks after that steeping the whole house in misery. He would yell at my mom, he would keep Mark away from me… hell, he wouldn’t even be in the same room as me. It was like he had just snapped. One day, I came home and mom was crying. She showed me the note that my father had left. He’d packed his bags and gone. My mom told me that there had been problems between them for a while now, and that it wasn’t my fault, but... A couple years later, Mark decided to move in with my father. We didn’t know why, but we weren’t going to stop him if that’s what he wanted. It uh- it’s been my mom and me ever since. This summer was the first time I’ve seen my father in years, and- and he still won’t look me in the eye-”

Taeyong caught Jaehyun as he fell into his arms, and rocked him in a tight hold, shushing him gently and stroking his hair. Jaehyun cried for what felt like an eternity under those floodlights, with Taeyong’s warm breath fanning his neck as he whispered sweet nothings into his ear.

“It’s okay, Jaehyun. I’m here, sugar. I’m here. Let it all out.”

When Jaehyun pulled away, blotchy and sniffling, he felt like an enormous weight had been wrenched from his shoulders, where it had sat for so long, he hadn’t even noticed he was carrying it.

“Taeyong, I-”

“Jaehyun. You don’t need to say anything,” Taeyong shuffled closer to him, and leans his head on his shoulder. Jaehyun relaxes, “It isn’t easy to deal with all of that on your own, and to carry on as if you’re okay. Trust me, because I know. But you’re here. I’m here. We’re both here, together, under these lights, and we’ve got each other now.”

Jaehyun leant back and watched the clouds clear, revealing the moon as its light cast itself over the field. He could feel the warmth of Taeyong against him, and let himself slowly drift asleep, hanging on to the last few words Taeyong whispered.

“Jaehyun, you don’t have to be alone ever again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> I know this update has come a lot quicker than the last few, but I've had so so much love on this fic, and was just really motivated to write the next chapter so I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in which Jaehyun wakes up late and is there for Mark.

Jaehyun woke up with a stiff back and a crick in his neck.

“Ow, fuck.” He mumbled, cursing under his breath as he hoisted himself into a normal seated position, every joint in his body cracking and popping and screaming in protest.

Jaehyun pawed at the back of his neck, gazing around at the football field surrounding him, trying to remember why he had woken up on the bleachers. He placed a hand down on the bench beside him and heard a crinkle. Jaehyun furrowed his eyebrows, feeling along the paper with his fingers and picking it up curiously.

His name was jotted down on the front. Jaehyun unfolded the paper, squinting his tired eyes in the morning sun to decipher it. The handwriting was neat and spaced well, though, so he didn’t have much trouble ;

_Morning Jae,_

_You looked peaceful, so I didn’t want to wake you - but make sure you arrive at church on time!_

_Keep your eyes open - I’ll be seeing you again soon._

_Taeyong x_

Unfortunately, Jaehyun didn’t have time to focus on the parts of the note he wanted to, because his eyes zeroed in on a particular part - ‘ _arrive at church on time’_

He scrambled in his pocket for his phone, unlocking it and feeling his soul drain away as the word ‘Sunday’ popped up, followed by the time.

07:56AM.

“Fuck!”

-

Jaehyun didn’t realise just how fast he could run until he found himself waking up on the opposite side of town on a Sunday morning, four minutes before church was due to begin. He hadn’t even begun to conjure up an excuse for why he wasn’t at home this morning, he just ran, aiming to be at the church before 8am.

His lungs were screaming in protest as he tore down the street, throwing on his black jacket to marginally cover up the fact he wasn’t in his Sunday best.

It was a fruitless attempt, he was trying his best.

He was a man in crisis.

With his lungs bunched up in his throat, Jaehyun skidded to a halt outside the wide, imposing doors of the church, a few couples and families still milling around outside. Wiping the sweat frantically from his forehead, Jaehyun checked the time, seeing the numbers 07:58 change to 07:59.

Damn. One minute to spare.

Jaehyun took a moment to catch his breath, using the nearest bay windows to check his appearance and smarten himself up as best he could. He might have just completed the fastest timed lap of this town, but he didn’t want to look like it under the glaring gaze of his father.

As composed as he could be, he entered the church among a few other groups from around the town, waving and smiling politely at them all. He hadn’t realised just how much all the old couples and idealist suburban families liked him, because they didn’t bat an eye at his lack of a suit or mussed locks.

They shook his hand. Kissed his cheek. Asked him to come round for tea, and cakes, when he had the time. Basked him with praise.

Jaehyun was blissfully caught up in the fact he had gotten away with it all entirely.

Well, at least, until he met the eyes of his father, his icy eyes staring out across the pews and boring into his skull. Jaehyun took his seat, overly aware of the way his father was looking at him as the service began.

He was in trouble.

-

“Where were you Jaehyun? Hmm? Where!”

“I told you already. I was out.”

“All night?? What am I supposed to do, take it _easy_ on you?!”

“Look, I wasn’t in any trouble. I’m here, safe and sound. I don’t see what the problem is.” Jaehyun huffed, throwing his head back against his bedrest.

He had tried to escape to his room as soon as he had arrived home with Mark and his father, but the old, persistent man just had to follow him. He had caught a glimpse of Mark lingering in the hallway as the door slammed shut, his father laying into him before he could even toe his shoes off.

“The problem!?” His father scoffed, his face a deep shade of crimson. He looked like he was about to burst. “The _problem_ , Jae, is that you seem to have no respect for my authority.”

Jaehyun stared at his father for a long time, unable to come up with a response. He wanted to tell him that maybe, if he’d been there for Jaehyun and been respectful towards him, then maybe Jaehyun could respect his father too. Seeing as that didn’t happen, he didn’t feel indebted to his father on any level - certainly not when it came to respect.

But he didn’t say it. Partly because he knew the consequences, but also to save Mark from hearing the argument blow up even further than it already had.

He had noticed the shadow appear underneath his door some time ago, and he knew Mark was listening. In some ways, he didn’t blame him.

After a period of silence, Jaehyun’s father huffed dramatically, “I know you don’t want to be here, but you are. Okay? You are _my_ responsibility. So you will stay out of trouble, or so help me boy…”

“Alright. Sure.”

His father huffed again, louder this time, but seemed tired of the sound of his own voice - he wasn’t the only one - and turned away. As his footsteps approached the door, he watched Mark’s shadow disappear.

Kid was good at not getting caught. Too good.

As though on cue, a few minutes after Jaehyun’s father left his room with a customary slam of his door, the shadow reappeared with a soft knock.

“Come in.” Jaehyun called, watching Mark’s figure appear in the doorway, padding over to his bed and sitting down on the end of it.

“Where were you Jaehyun?” Mark asked, his eyes wide and round like saucers, his face slightly sunken, and Jaehyun felt guilty. He opens his arms, beckoning to his brother, “C’mere little man.”

Jaehyun didn’t answer Mark’s question, but Mark hadn’t asked because he wanted an answer. He simply wanted his brother, and that was okay. Jaehyun understood. He had been gone all night and Mark was probably worried out of his mind when Jaehyun wasn’t there to cook breakfast and laugh with that morning. Jaehyun understood, and so he held Mark close, stroking his hair until he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! It's been a while!
> 
> Sorry for the inactivity - school has been kicking my ass recently! This is only a filler chapter I'm afraid, but I've got a couple of ideas of where to take this fic, so there will be more proper updates soon :)
> 
> Thank you reading and for comments, kudos, subs or even just hits!
> 
> Twitter : @rosietyongf


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